Overview of C# 4.0 How-To

This book is very different from a typical “bible” approach to a topic. By structuring the book as a “how-to,” it presents the material by scenario in steps that are easily followed. Throughout, I have tried to keep the explanatory text to the minimum necessary and keep the focus on the code itself. Often, you will find comments embedded in the code to explain nonobvious bits.

This book is not strictly a language/library book. Besides covering the language features themselves, it dives into practical examples of application patterns, useful algorithms, and handy tips that are applicable in many situations.

Developers, both beginner and advanced, will find hundreds of useful topics in this book. Whether it’s a section on lesser-known C# operators, how to sort strings that contain numbers in them, or how to implement Undo, this book contains recipes that are useful in a wide variety of situations, regardless of skill level.

In short, this is the book I wish I had on my desk when I was first learning programming and C# as well as now, whenever I need a quick reference or reminder about how to do something.

Introduction

When many people first encounter Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS), they are often confused. Out of the box, a lot of people have trouble figuring out what it does and what it’s for. The most important thing to realize about SharePoint is that it isn’t intended to be a complete, off-the-shelf, shrink-wrapped product. Rather, MOSS is a development platform, upon which powerful and compelling portal applications can be built. This book provides developers with a thorough, in-depth guide to the internals of writing code for the SharePoint platform. SharePoint programming can be divided into four main categories: programming the object model, programming the web services, programming the Web Parts, and programming the enterprise content.

Programming the SharePoint object model involves writing code that physically resides on one of the front-end servers in a SharePoint web farm. Web services expose powerful SharePoint functionality to applications that do not reside on the same server as SharePoint, such as smart clients and other remote servers. Web Parts are components that can be dropped onto Web Part pages within a SharePoint site, which provide valu- able displays for various types of data and functionality. Finally, enterprise content programming involves working with the Business Data Catalog.

Sams Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hours is a tutorial aimed at making the Linux beginner more effective and productive users of the operating system. Most books in this category are more of a general reference in nature and are designed to cover Linux in general. Well, every Linux distribution is different - file locations can change, commands can be a little different, etc. This means the readers of those books may not find answers specific to their installation. This book will use the effective Sams Teach Yourself format to instruct the reader how to: install the operating system, configure their hardware, and effectively use the tools that come with the Red Hat distribution included on the CD-ROM.

• Learn how to install Red Hat Linux by walking through an easy to follow hardware configuration
• Understand how to use Linux commands, configure your network and servers and manage users of your system
• Discover the power of X(TM) Windows
• The CD-ROM delivers Red Hat Linux V5.0--a $49.95 value-- complete with source code

Introduction

Welcome to Ubuntu Unleashed, 2008 Edition! This book covers the free Linux distribution named Ubuntu and includes a fully functional and complete operating system produced by the Ubuntu Community, sponsored by Canonical Software. This book covers Ubuntu version 8.04 LTS, commonly known as the Hardy Heron.

Ubuntu directly descends from one of the oldest and most revered Linux distributions ever: Debian. Those of you who know nothing about Linux will likely not have heard of Debian; it is enough to know that it is considered to be one of the most stable and secure Linux distributions currently available. Ubuntu benefits directly from many contributions from free software developers across the world.

If you are new to Linux, you have made a great decision by choosing this book. Sams Publishing’s Unleashed books offer an in-depth look at their subject, taking in both beginner and advanced users and moving them to a new level of knowledge and expertise. Ubuntu is a fast-changing distribution that can be updated at least twice a year. We have tracked the development of Ubuntu from early on to make sure that the information in this book mirrors closely the development of the distribution. A full copy of Ubuntu is included on the enclosed disc, making it possible for you to install Linux in less than an hour! No longer an upstart, Linux now has an enviable position in today’s modern computing world. It can be found on machines as diverse as mobile phones and wristwatches, all the way up to supercomputers— in fact, Linux currently runs on more than half of the world’s top 500 supercomputers.

Introduction to Expression Blend

Taking aside the technical aspects of learning how to use Microsoft Expression Blend, there are many areas that are often disregarded within discussions about how Blend is— and should be—used in a real-world project sense. You may be a single person business or employee that needs to fill all the roles that Blend is best used for; or, you may be part of an enterprise size team.

Knowing, why a tool should be used in a certain way sometimes makes it easier to apply the options provided. This chapter talks about areas within project teams, their roles, and their perspective.

The Next Generation User Experience

One of my favorite pastimes is watching movies. I don’t care how old they are or if I have already watched them 10 times. I find that watching movies relaxes me; it allows me to escape my own thoughts for an hour or two, and most of the time they inspire and motivate me in some way.

I especially enjoy watching movies in which computers are used in the plot in some way. I guess that is the geek coming out in me, but there is something special about the user interfaces, and in some spectacular cases the visual and interactive design, that are also explored in such movies. Minority Report, with Tom Cruise, is a great example of what we want to be moving toward in providing an outstanding user experience and interface. That interface (and indeed the entire process that encompasses Tom’s user experience)